Lies He Told
by disorderly-being
Summary: Nathan gets into some hot water with his friends after his latest stunt. But, what happens when they return to Tree Hill with every intention of coming clean, only to realize just how much they enjoy the roles the younger Scott brother had created? not NP
1. intro

Lies He Told

Introduction

He was halfway out the door when the phone rang. He paused and waited for the answering machine to pick up the call, not wanting to walk across the room to check the number being displayed on the caller id. After a few more rings, their familiar message permeated through the quiet apartment he leased with a couple of his friends.

"_Hey, you lucky person you, you've reached the home of fashion designer, Brooke Davis-"_

"_Owner of Red Bedroom Records, Peyton Sawyer-"_

His best friends, really. They had met when they were only kids, at 5 years of age, and after everything that had happened in their lives, with family, school and friends, they had only grown closer, stronger.

"_And NBA All-Star Nathan Scott. Now the sad thing is: none of us are home at the moment. I'm training-"_

"_I'd most likely be in the studio, trying not to kill Chris-"_

"_And I'm currently having to deal with Victoria, enough said really. So, if it's really important you can try reaching us on our cell phones, which you'd have the numbers of if you really matter-"_

"_Unlike my ex-wife and bastard brother-"_

There was a story behind that, of course, and the story was that during their final year in high school, they had been betrayed by the Rivercourt duo. He shouldn't be surprised, really. Yes, Lucas was his brother and, yeah, Haley was his wife, but he had never fully trusted them. At least, not when they were alone together.

He had ignored it, refused to believe that they would hurt him or their friends; he wished that he had listened to the little voice in his head.

Haley had told him that she was pregnant... And that the child may be Lucas's.

"_Or you can do what others usually do: ignore Nate and leave a message after the beep."_

"_But if you're ex-rocker Haley James or one-hit wonder author Lucas Scott, don't even bother."_

"_Nathan!"_

"_What?"_

_A groan was heard. "We are going to have to do this all over again or else they're going to think we're either bitter or crazy."_

"_We should just keep it."_

"_Yeah. I kind of like it."_

"_I like it too, but it's too long. The machine will cut us off soon-"_

"_It should have do-"-"_

_Beep..._

_A deep inhale of breath before, "Hey, it's Lucas. Hales doesn't know I'm calling-"_

Nathan Scott rolled his eyes the moment his brother's voice was heard over the answering machine. _Asshole never could listen_, he thought as he crossed the room with the intention of picking up the phone and giving his brother a piece of his mind. But his next words caused him to stop and stare in shock.

"_We're getting married in a couple of weeks and we'd love to have you guys there. I know we have a pretty rough past, but we were hoping we could get passed that and start fresh. It'd really mean a lot to us if you guys would attend." A pause in his carefully thought over speech._

_"Jaime really misses his aunts and his uncle, I just thought you guys should know." Another pause and another inhale of breath, "Anyway, we're still living in Tree Hill and our wedding is set for the thirtieth of the month, I hope that you're all not too busy and can make it-"_

"Hey Luke," the phone was pressed against Nathan's ear.

"_Nate? Hey," surprise was evident in the older Scott's voice. "How are-"_

"We'll be there," Nathan's eyes widened.

_What the hell am I saying?_ He wondered to himself, but words continued to escape through his lips, "Our schedules are kind of tight, but we'll manage somehow. We'll be bringing dates, of course."

_Another pause, Lucas stuttered, "Su-sure, but uh, I-I wasn't aware that any of you were seeing anyone."_

"Not that many people know. With our lifestyles right now, we all want to keep things under wraps," Nathan lied.

"_Oh right, of course."_

Yet another pause on the other end left Nathan with the distinct feeling that his brother was going to ask more than he should.

And he did, _"Any of it serious or is it just-"_

"Yeah, it's pretty serious, for all of us," another lie.

"Brooke is practically living with her boyfriend, he's this indie movie producer she met when we were in Los Angeles," a tiny little fib. _Brooke does spend a lot of time with Julian, she talks about him a lot and she does tend to spend the night at this apartment whenever she 'accidentally' locks herself out of ours... So what if they aren't dating?_

"I've been seeing an old friend for a couple of years." _Not going too much into detail there._

"_What about Peyton?" Lucas just had to ask._

_Of course_, Nathan thought.

"She's engaged herself, actually," He paused, eyes darting around the living room until they settled on a picture of Peyton, her arms wrapped around- "To Jake Jagielski, he managed to snag her after all, huh?" _Peyton is going to kill me._

_Silence was heard on Lucas's end. Another moment passed before he could compose himself, clearing his throat, "Yeah, I guess so, but that's good. Good for them."_

_He cleared his throat again, changing topics, "Anyway, the wedding, you'll all really be there?"_

"I'll have to talk to everyone and let them know, but we'll be there. You can count on it." _If they don't kill me for this, that is._

"_All right then, it was nice talking to you, Nate. Tell Brooke and Peyton that we miss them and you'll hear from us again soon."_

"Uh, yeah, Luke, it was nice talking to you, too." _I really shouldn't have picked up the phone._

"_But, one small little favor, little brother, if you don't mind that is."_

"What?"

"_The message on your answering machine... If you could just change it or possibly cut out the part about me and Hales?"_

Nathan chuckled. "I don't know, man. We're all pretty attached to it, been there since we moved in together, but I'll see what I can do. Not making any promises."

"_That's all that I ask. Call me after you've spoken to the girls, there are a few more details that I'll have to get into. Take care of yourself, Brooke, and Peyton, Nate."_

"I always do, don't I?" Nathan returned the phone back on its stand, effectively hanging up on the blond before he had the chance to say anything else.

He stood in the room, going over everything that had happened in the last ten minutes or so.

"I'm fucking dead."


	2. one1

***Author's Note:** Thank you so much for those who have reviewed/favorited/alerted this story. And I hope y'all enjoy the next part. (Sez)

Lies He Told

Part One

Nathan fiddled with his napkin and casually looked around the table. He studied each and every one of his friends. . .They looked happy, he thought and shook his head from left to right when he was offered the last piece of pizza. Dinner at their favorite pizzeria had gotten to be a tradition between them. Once a week and usually at the end of the work week. . .It gave them a sense of normalcy because of how hectic it had gotten since they had all grown in their respective fields. . .And what was more normal than enjoying pizza with your closest friends?

He cleared his throat, "I had an interesting phone call earlier today."

Five curious eyes turned in his direction and he shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

Brooke Davis arched a brow when he failed to elaborate. The brunette was seated across of the younger Scott and in between her best friend, Peyton Sawyer, and another close friend of theirs, Julian Baker, "And? Nate, what's going on?"

Nathan rubbed the back of his neck and focused on his two best friends. . .Well, his best friend and his other best friend. Peyton was his best friend and Brooke was the other, at least, that was how he had always seen it. He quickly mumbled under his breath, "Lucasinvitedustotheirwedding."

Brooke and Peyton, Julian, too, he noticed from the corner of his eye, just looked at him with confusion. But, twin gasps of surprise were heard from his left side and from his right. Jake Jagielski sat to his right and across of Peyton and to Nathan's left sat Rachel Gatina, who was also across of Julian.

Brooke's face scrunched up in confusion, "OK, what did you just say because I could not understand one word of it."

Peyton and Julian agreed.

"Lucas," Nathan began again at a clear and slow pace, "invited us to their wedding."

Brooke's mouth dropped down and formed an 'o' in surprise and Peyton's eyes widened.

"I told him that we would go," Nathan then breathed out.

"You're kidding me," both women had responded.

He shook his head from left to right and told him that he wasn't kidding. And then he looked away from them and instead he focused on his hands that were folded together on top of the table, "There's actually more to it. . ."

He braced himself for the worst and told his friends what he had done, "I kind of lied and told him that we would bring dates and that. . .we were kind of serious with them."

"WHAT?" the entire table exploded at once.

Nathan slumped down in his seat. . .He really regretted that he picked up the phone. Hell, he regretted the fact that he had stayed in the first place. He should have just ignored the call, let the answering machine take it, and left like he had planned to. Then, he wouldn't be in this predicament. . .

"Why would you lie about something like that, Nathan? None of us are even dating casually because of our lifestyles right now. . .Why would you lie and tell LUCAS SCOTT of all people that we were all in serious relationships?" Peyton questioned.

He looked up and met his ex-girlfriend's curios eyes. He forced himself to smile and Peyton's curious gaze hardened into a glare. _Peyton was always able to read me_, he thought to himself. He looked away from her, "I never said that we were ALL going to attend with dates. . .I kind of implied that we were dating each other."

Confusion scattered around the table.

"How can we all be dating each other?"

He ran a hand through his hair and looked at the woman seated to his left. And Rachel stared back at him. He motioned between them, "I kind of told him that you and I were getting serious, without mentioning your name, of course."

Rachel's expression turned into one of amusement, one of her eyebrows arched high.

"My exact words were that I've 'been seeing an old friend for a couple of years'," he explained.

And Rachel laughed, "Well, if you consider the fact that I am an old friend and I've only been around you guys again for the last two years. . .not exactly a lie there."

Nathan nodded and turned to regard both Brooke and Julian because he figured that Peyton and Jake would be the most angry. He had after all told Lucas, Peyton's ex-boyfriend, that the pair were engaged to each other. Nathan kind of thought that it would be better if he stalled about that for as long as possible. . .

"And I kind of implied that you guys lived together," he said to the clothing designer and indie movie producer.

Brooke shook her head and Nathan caught the sight of a blush on his other best friend's cheek, "You're crazy, Nate. . .and let me guess, you told Lucas that Peyton and Jake were back together?"

The NBA All-Star looked away and mumbled, "Not exactly."

Peyton arched a brow at his words and Jake just looked at him in confusion, hoping that he would further explain.

"And what exactly does 'not exactly' mean?" Brooke asked.

He coughed into his closed hand.

Peyton narrowed her eyes, "Please, tell me that you didn't tell Lucas that Jake and I were married or something."

Nathan looked up at her and smiled an uneasy smile.

A look of suspicion crossed the blond's features and Peyton bellowed, "NATHAN ROYAL SCOTT!"

He winced at the use of his full name and at the shriek of her voice. He placed his hands out in front of him and her glare hardened, "Relax. . .I. . .I didn't tell Lucas that you were married. . ."

Peyton visibly relaxed, but tensed once again at her other best friend's next words.

"I told him that you and Jake were engaged."

"YOU WHAT?" his friends exclaimed in unison.

And the glare from Peyton returned once again. The blond woman none at all impressed or amused with the hole that Nathan had dug, not only for himself but for her and the rest of their friends, too. . .She kicked him hard in the shin and the younger Scott yelped and his knee collided against the bottom of the table top. Her glare darkened, undeterred by his pain, "ARE YOU KIDDING ME? SERIOUSLY, NATE?"

Nathan gave her a sheepish smile and shrugged his shoulders, his shin still throbbed, "It just happened."

Green eyes widened, "It JUST happened? How can that JUST HAPPEN?"

He shrugged again and looked at his other best friend. . .He looked away from her when he saw that Brooke did not look happy. In fact, none of his friends looked very happy at the moment. . .except for Rachel, but then again he had never mentioned her to Lucas when the brothers had spoken.

Great, just great. . .he had managed to piss off both of his best friends and two of his closest friends. . .and at the same time, too. Not that he hadn't expected to, what with the elaborate pieces of crap lies that he had told his brother.

If only he had the ability to start the entire day over. . .he would have known better. Unfortunately, it was impossible and so he had to smooth things out with the present. But, he also knew that Jake and Julian were no problem and he had to focus on Brooke and Peyton. . .

"I'm sorry," he apologized and turned sad eyes on Peyton. Her glare only hardened, the blond woman immune to the Nathan Scott charm. He flinched under her cold stare and decided that Brooke would be an easier target. And he inwardly cheered when Brooke's features softened up just a bit. . .He frowned deeper and looked back at Peyton, "I never planned this, OK? I would never. . .It just. . .The words just came out, before I even knew what I was doing. One second, I was just gonna yell at him and hang up. . .and the next. . .I'm telling him that we'll attend their wedding."

He released a sigh and further slumped down in his seat, his knees bumped against Brooke's. After the initial shock of what he had just done had worn off, Nathan had left the house and decided that he would wait until dinner to tell them the news. . .He wished that he had just told them over the phone, then he would have just hung up on them if they yelled too much. . .and waited until they got home to yell at him some more in person. That would have been better than how they stared at him now, both angry and disappointed. He figured that if he had gone with the over-the-phone route, they would have just been angry with him. And anger was something he handled very well. . .disappointment, not so much.

"I could take it back," he said and looked at each of his friends in turn, "I could tell him that we can't make it to the wedding, that our schedules are way too hectic or something-"

Brooke shook her head, "We can't do that. . .You told Lucas that we would attend the wedding and we will."

Peyton sighed and agreed with her best friend, "Kind of have to, now. Lucas and Haley would be disappointed. . .not to mention Jaime, and I miss that little guy."

"And what about what I told, Lucas?" Nathan couldn't help but ask, he tried not to look as relieved as he felt that his best friends were no longer angry with him. They seemed resigned, instead.

"Well," Peyton began and looked at him with mild annoyance. She grinned wickedly at him, "You have the honor of telling big brother what a big, fat liar you are."

Nathan only scowled.


End file.
